1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of boat hull cleaning devices which can be used to clean the boat hull while in the water, and more specifically, to a boat hull cleaning apparatus having a plurality of uniquely designed brushing devices.
2. Prior Art
The need for boat bottom cleaning apparatuses is well known in the art. This need is due to the fact that a boat's performance, especially larger boats having lengths in excess of 30 feet, is related to the ability of the boat hull to slide through the water. If the boat hull is dirty or should various underwater marine growths be attached to the hull, the performance of the boat will be substantially diminished. This results in greater fuel consumption of a boat having a fouled bottom than a boat having a clean bottom. Thus, it is well recognized that to improve boat performance, the bottom of the boat should be free of all rough surfaces so as to be substantially smooth. In the past, various types of anti-fouling and toxic bottom paints have been used on boat hulls. These types of paints provide an extremely smooth surface and are used to prevent marine growths from growing on the hull. Such paints have been widely used because many times boats cannot be economically kept out of the water when not in use, i.e., larger boats constantly remain in the water which increases the likelihood of marine growth. However, such paints have been found not to be effective in preventing the multiplicity of types of marine growth which are known to grow on ships' hulls. Moreover, with this method of preventing marine growth, the boat bottom cannot be cleaned by all scraping system as many scraping means are very likely to also remove the anti-fouling paint.
In response to this problem, the prior art has developed a number of boat cleaning apparatuses which are used on the boat hull while the boat is in the water. However, as will be shown such boat cleaning apparatuses contain a number of shortcomings. One such apparatus is disclosed by Campbell, U.S. Pat. No. 3,227,124. The boat cleaning apparatus of Campbell comprises a brushing unit coupled to two floating pontoon members. The brushing unit is coupled to the pontoon members such that when a boat is drawn between the pontoon members, the brushes rotate against boat hull. In such an apparatus, the brushes are disposed on a cylindrical member extending transversely beneath the boat bottom and rotate such that the bristles of the brushing unit symmetrically abrade against the boat hull. This is because the bristles are arranged in cylindrical configuration such that as the cylinder member is rotated, each bristle travels in the same direction and abrades against the boat hull in only this direction. Such an apparatus suffers from a number of shortcomings. For example, because the bristles are orthogonally disposed on the brushing unit with respect to the axis of rotation it has been found that the resistance of such bristles through the water is so great that such bristles are substantially bent by the time they make contact with the boat hull. This reduces the abrading effect of the brush against the boat hull. Thus, a specific point on the boat hull is only subjected to bristles moving in one direction and substantially bent. It has been found that such cleaning action does not remove a large number of marine growths. In addition, such type of cylindrical bristles require a great deal of power to rotate them in water. The device of Campbell also requires a complex pump mechanism for driving the bristles and a separate system for raising and lowering the brushes. Finally, the brushing unit of Campbell calls for an upward extending joining member which couples each of the pontoons together. Such a member prevents boats having high superstructures such as, for example, sail boats and the like, from passing beneath such upwardly extending joining member.
Another prior art cleaning device is disclosed by Browne, U.S. Pat. No. 1,079,208. In the Browne device, an apparatus having a propeller is lowered into the water and the action of the propeller positions the device against the boat hull. As the device is moved down the side of the boat by a crane, rollers scrape off the algae and other growth on the boat hull. However, such devices also suffer a number of shortcomings in that in order to clean one boat hull such device must be repositioned along the boat hull in order to effectively clean the entire hull. Moreover, as with the Campbell device, the means used to clean the boat hull rotates in only one direction and thus a point on the boat hull is only subjected to abrading bristles or other abrasion means which move in one direction. Moreover, a complex crane system is required to position the device against the boat hull.
Yet another prior art boat cleaning device is disclosed by Sieple, U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,109. In the Sieple device a floating-type platform is ballasted and trimmed to allow the passage of a ship through a channel. A plurality of cylindrically shaped brushing units are brought to bear against the ship hull such that the brushes clean the marine growth therefrom. As discussed hereinabove, such brushes only acts in one direction against the boat hull and therefore suffers the above-mentioned shortcomings. Moreover, such a floating-type platform which must be raised and lowered beneath the boat hull requires expensive and complex flotation equipment which raises the cost of such apparatus. Finally, such a device positions the brushing units by means of a plurality of hydraulic rams which must be protected from a water environment.
The present invention provides a boat cleaning apparatus which contains none of the shortcomings of the prior art. Because the brushing device of the present invention has cleaning bristles extending outwardly from a flat base member, rotation of the base member causes substantially all of the bristles to simultaneously engage the boat hull. Moreover, because the cleaning bristles are substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the base member, an asymmetrical brushing action is created. This asymmetrical brushing action delivers a plurality of directional forces to any given point on the boat hull thereby effectively cleaning dirt and tenacious marine growths therefrom. This cleaning action is provided by a motor means which is used to position the brushing device adjacent the boat hull. The present invention also provides a uniquely designed pontoon configuration which permits boats of various designs to pass therethrough and be cleaned by the brushing devices.